Reading about other cultures is a great way to understand others. Sandra Cisneros does a fantastic job creating a setting where the audience is compelled to read and understand the stereotypes and exclusion that Chicano students undergo. 

Though I don't often re-read books for pleasure, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Anelgo was the first book that made me begin to see how history has effected other ethnicities and races, and how their treatment effects generations. 

Jenny Lau is poignant and exact in her language describing the ordeals she and her family encountered during the Cambodian genocide. This novel made me cry and re-affirm my notions that people deserve freedom and opportunity. 

Time travel, Scotland, war, and romance: Diana Gabaldon's series has it all. From the first chapter, I was hooked on this plot of revenge, personal struggle, and cultural adjustment to being an "outlander."